


Madness Reigns

by TheLOAD



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Ah king au, Gen, Mad King Geoff, Mad King Ryan, Stockholm Syndrome
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-09
Updated: 2015-05-29
Packaged: 2018-03-16 14:17:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,467
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3491465
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheLOAD/pseuds/TheLOAD
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ryan tried so hard to be a good king, he really did. But when a ghost from his past decides to take matters into its own hands Ryan can't help but go a little mad.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Kings and Conspiracies

The Kingdom of Consequi had been ruled by the Ramsey family for generations. They were a strong line of kings, rumored to be descended from the gods themselves, and when Geoff Ramsey took the throne the people applauded their new ruler, confident that he would rule them just as well as his forefathers did.

To many Geoff seemed a cheerful man. Perhaps a bit too found of strong drink but even the greatest of kings were not without their vices, and if the worst Geoff did was get drunk and pass out in the stables then everyone was willing to have a good laugh at the king's expense.

Mostly having a laugh was Gavin's job. The court jester seemed the fool at time but his tongue was more clever than he let on and he was always swift to poke fun at his companions. He was especially close to Michael and Ray, two loyal knights who were skilled warriors and eager to fight any battle for their king. But without a doubt the two who were closest to the king were his guards.

Ryan and Jack were unusually choices for warriors if you asked anyone who knew the men. Jack was a calm and gently soul and despite playing at a villain to entertain the lads Ryan was far from vicious, easily flustered at times by the antics of others and prone to tripping over his own sentences when distracted. Both men had known Geoff from back when they were all just boys playing in the castle gardens, their father's serving Geoff's just as they served him now. On the surface, the six of them seemed the perfect arrangement. A king from a noble line, his two guards and warriors, and a fool to keep them all in check. It seemed to the people as though nothing could go wrong.

Except Geoff wasn't the king everyone expected him to be. It didn't take long for the new king to turn cruel, to start tormenting those he ruled for his own amusement. Those closest to him tried to reason with him, tried to plead for him to stop the madness. But he didn't listen. When nothing else seemed to work, when reason failed, it became apparent that the king would have to be overthrown. For the good of the kingdom.

* * *

 

Ryan stood to Geoff's right, keeping his gaze directed in front of him while the king lounged in his throne, twirling his crown and watching as Gavin tried to amuse him with tales of the fool's drunken antics. He didn't dare meet Gavin's eyes, or the eyes of Jack, lest Geoff pick up that something was wrong. For little over a month the three men, Ray and Michael as well, had been gathering together with people from the nearest towns to plan an uprising against King Geoff. Tonight one such meeting was scheduled to take place and Ryan's nerves were on edge. Everyone had been growing increasingly restless as his and Jack's attempts to talk to Geoff about the state of the kingdom had failed and revolution had become their only option.

Ryan was snapped rather abruptly from his thoughts by the door to the throne room opening. He glanced up and saw from the corner of his eye Geoff and Jack do the same as Gavin stopped his story and turned to see what had interrupted him. Two guards from the outer walls entered the room, dragging in a shopkeeper who Ryan recognized at once. His heart froze in his chest and he saw Gavin go ghostly pale at the sight of the new arrival. It was Jeremy, owner of a local brewery and one of their fellow conspirators. It was the shop Jeremy owned with Matt where they held their meetings. There could only be one reason why he would be here, and Ryan suddenly feared for all their lives.

"My Lord," one of the guards said, throwing Jeremy down to the ground. "We have reason to believe this man is behind a conspiracy against your life and your crown." Jeremy pushed himself off the ground, glaring defiantly at the king despite his split lip and black eye. He locked eyes with Jack and Ryan, the real masterminds behind the rebellion, and gave a small nod before speaking.

"Yeah?" He asked. "And what if I am? You're a shitty king anyway." One of the guards went to strike him but Geoff held a hand up.

"We can handle this fellows," the king said, and Ryan didn't like the glint in his eye at all. "Go back to watching the castle. Jack go with them. See if you can't find anyone else." The men bowed and left, leaving Geoff alone with three of the conspirators, though only Ryan was armed. Ryan watched Jack leave, feeling suddenly surrounded, before Geoff saying his name snapped him back to reality.

"What was that?" He asked, turning towards the king.

"I said," Geoff repeated calmly. "Kill the traitor." Ryan swallowed, turning from Geoff to Gavin and then to Jeremy. Gavin was shaking in his boots, a grotesque urine colored pair that Geoff forced him to wear, and trying not to look at Jeremy, his stomach not strong enough to watch a man die. Jeremy, to his credit, was staring up at Ryan fearlessly, waiting for the other man to make his move. Ryan's hand moved down to his sword, and for a moment he considered turning the blade on Geoff instead, of taking out a tyrant instead of an innocent man. But Geoff had a sword of his own and was a warrior by blood, and if Ryan was killed then there would be nothing stopping Geoff from killing Jeremy himself, and maybe Gavin and Jack as well. Was one life worth possibly losing three people vital to the rebellion? Beside him Geoff cleared his throat, growing impatient.

"Something wrong buddy?" He asked in that sickly sweet tone that made it sound like him and Ryan were the closest people in the world. "He's not dead yet." Ryan shook his head, drawing his sword and stepping down towards Jeremy. He gripped the hilt tighter to keep his hands from trembling and lifted the blade up high, eyes locking with Jeremy's one last time before Ryan brought the sword down and cleaved the other man's head in two. Jeremy's body dropped to the floor with a sickening thud, brain and blood spilling from the wound and pooling around Ryan's feet. Gavin glanced at the body before turning instantly, wrenching at the sight. Geoff laughed at the blood and at the fool's nausea before standing up and walking up to Ryan, patting the guard on the shoulder.

"I'm proud of you buddy," he said before walking past Ryan and through the gore, leaving Ryan to stare down at what he had done.

* * *

Ryan pulled the hood closer around his face, glancing around for any soldiers in the street. Someone must have told the guards about Jeremy, which meant that they all could be at risk. Either someone had seen them going in and out of the shop and found their behavior suspicious or there was a traitor in their ranks. A traitor in the ranks of traitors. Ryan would have laughed at the thought if he wasn't so terrified about this meeting. As far as Ryan knew only Gavin and Jack knew that Jeremy had died by his blade, Gavin having witnessed the act and Jack having returned an hour later with orders from Geoff to help Ryan dispose of the corpse. Throw it into The Nether, so there would be nothing left of the traitor. Only Jack and Gavin knew for sure, but Ryan doubted it had stayed that way for long. Gavin surely must have told Michael and Ray, and Jack wouldn't have the heart to leave Matt out of the loop. Surely by now it had spread through the rebellion that Ryan had slaughtered one of their own under the orders of the king, like just some trained dog.

Once he was sure that the streets were clear of any of Geoff's men Ryan walked up to the shop, looking around one last time before knocking on the door. He waited patiently for someone to answer, listening to the sounds of people whispering and moving around inside. Finally he heard Kerry speak from the other side of the door.

"Password?" The other man asked.

"Achieve," Ryan answered. He had helped come up with the password, thinking it would be something that could inspire hope and dedication in the revolution. Give everyone the idea they they were striving for something. The slot in the wall opened and he saw Kerry's eyes peek through. But instead of opening the door as he normally would, Kerry closed the slot and spoke to someone on the other side of the door, telling them it was Ryan. Ryan frowned, growing tenser as more time passed without Kerry opening the door. He looked around, anxious that someone would see him before he had the chance to hide. Finally, after a hushed conversation that Ryan couldn't make out, the door opened. Letting out a sigh of relief, Ryan walked into the shop, closing the door behind him.

Only to seconds later find himself pinned to that very same door by a very enraged and very grief stricken Matt.

"You bastard!" Matt snapped, grabbing Ryan by the front of his shirt and shaking him. Ryan grit his teeth to stop them from chattering and his head reeled from the sudden movement. "You fucking bastard you murdered Jeremy." Ryan grabbed Matt's wrists, trying to get the other man to stop shaking him.

"I didn't have a choice," he pleaded, eyes wide. He glanced past Matt to the rest of the room and saw everyone looking at him warily. He swallowed, eyes returning to Matt, wondering for a moment if he was going to kill him to avenge Jeremy. "I swear I didn't you have to believe me."

"You could have killed Geoff instead," Matt spat. "Or are you still hoping that when the revolution happens he'll see the error of his ways." Ryan felt sick at the accusation, but he couldn't find any fault in Matt's words. He could have turned his sword on Geoff instead but he didn't. He had been too afraid of what would happen if Geoff had fought back, of him finding out about the revolution. But he couldn't deny a deeper motive either, that he truly did not want Geoff to die for their uprising. Part of him still held out hope that Geoff would change and he wondered how much that part of him played a role in Jeremy's death.

"That's not fair to Ryan," Jack said, stepping forward. "This revolution is bigger than any of us, Matt, you know that. Jeremy knew that. Ryan could have been killed if he turned on Geoff, and that would have just created more suspicions." Matt had turned to look at Jack and now turned back to Ryan, who was staring down and to the side, ashamed.

"I should have done something," Ryan whispered. "I should have done anything but what I did." Maybe then Jeremy would still be alive.

"You did the best you could do," Jack said as Matt finally let Ryan go.

"Yeah Rye," Gavin said, speaking up. "You and Geoff were the only ones with swords, and Geoff's was diamond. You couldn't have beaten him."

"I could have tried," he said, letting himself sink to the ground. "Caught him off guard." Jack placed a hand on his shoulder and Ryan looked up at him. Jack's eyes were soft and kind as always, and he gave Ryan's shoulder a small squeeze.

"You didn't do anything that I wouldn't have done," he said. "You had a tough call do make and you did the right thing." Ryan certainly didn't feel like he had done the right thing, still felt sick at the memory of Jeremy's body at his feet, but there was something reassuring about Jack's words, about the knowledge that he wasn't the only one who would have made that choice. It lifted some of the burden off of his shoulders and gave him enough courage to stand up and face everyone.

"The guards knew that Jeremy was involved in a revolution," he said. "We could all be in danger."

"So now what?" Lindsay asked. "If he knows then we're fucked if he decides to come for us."

"We'll need to move the revolution date up," Ryan said. He looked around, dread pooling in his stomach. "Possibly to this week." A collective groan went out across the room, and Ryan could sympathize. Changing plans like this was risky.

"You sure we'll be ready?" Ray asked. "He has us outnumbered and out-armed. We could be fucked if we attack now."

"But we may not get to attack later if we wait," Michael pointed out. "I say we attack in three days. Give us time to finalize everything but not enough time for Geoff to take us out. Wait until night then storm the castle. Ray and I can gather the sympathetic soldiers and handle most of the guards."

"Ryan and I can handle Geoff," Jack said. "Just make sure we can get him alone. If he has any soldiers or guards with him we won't be able to take him out."

"What if we're the guards with him?" Ryan asked. "I could talk to him about the night guards, tell him I have suspicions. Get us switched with them the night of the uprising." Though that may cost the night guards their lives if Ryan wasn't careful about it.

"See what you can do," Jack said. "What about after?" Caleb asked. "What happens if we win? We'll need a new king." That had been the issue most of them had been avoiding since plans for revolution had started. None of them were sure who among them could hold that title, and no one had volunteered for it either.

"What about Ryan?" Kdin offered, and Ryan's heart skipped a beat.

"Me?" He asked, looking around. "I'm not a king, I'm just a guard."

"None of us are kings," Kerry pointed out. "You and Jack are the two who planned this."

"Then make Jack king," Ryan pleaded, suddenly feeling surrounded once more. "He would be a good ruler he's smart and kind."

"So are you Rye Bread," Michael said. "Plus you can be scary as fuck when you want to be. Jack's not scary at all." Ryan was willing to admit that he was visibly more imposing than Jack, he was more broadly built than the other man and could be menacing when annoyed, but appearing vicious and being vicious were two very different things.

"You won't be alone," Jack said. "We'll be there with you every step of the way. If you need help, you'll have it." Matt, who had been silent ever since his outburst, spoke up.

"Jeremy would have voted for you," he said, with the implication that Matt agreed with his choice hanging in the air. Ryan looked over at him and nodded a silent thank you.

"What do you say, _King Ryan_?" Meg teased. "Will you lead us after our victory?" Ryan smiled a little, straightening up and standing as tall as he could.

"I will," he promised. "We'll win and I'll lead you." He beamed a little at their small applause, though a small bit of unease twisted curled up in his stomach. But the assurance that he wouldn't be alone calmed his nerves enough to continue on with the meeting.


	2. Revolutions and Regicide

Ryan had managed to get himself and Jack moved to guarding the King's chambers the night of the revolution, something which Ryan was thankful for. Geoff had believed Ryan when his guard and old friend told him to be wary of his usual night watchmen, ordering the men locked in the dungeon almost at once. Ryan had felt guilty about that, but it was better than them being executed, and once he was king he could pardon anyone Geoff had wrongfully imprisoned.

King. Once this was all over, assuming they won, Ryan would be king. The thought made him anxious, despite the assurances from everyone that he would make a fine ruler, that they would be there beside him every step of the way. Their words were kind, and welcome, but they could only go so far to ease his nerves. That he was in the middle of committing treason did not help in the slightest.

A crash echoing from the other side of the castle jostled Ryan out of his thoughts, and even startled Jack beside him. He heard cries, yelling and the sound of angry men, and he knew it had started. He turned quickly and opened the door to Geoff's chambers, finding the king already awake and sitting up.

"What the fuck was that?" Geoff asked, scowling.

"Uprising, My King," Ryan said. "We need to get you out of here." Geoff stood up and headed for his armor, but Jack stopped him.

"There isn't time for that," Jack explained, recoiling a bit from the murderous glare Geoff shot him. "They're getting closer by the second, and the three of us can't fight them all off. We need to escape now." The urgency in Jack's voice seemed enough to convince Geoff, because he stepped away from his armor and followed them both down the hall.

The plan was to get Geoff to his throne room and hold him there until everyone else arrived, so that he could be taken prisoner before everyone and tried for his crimes. As much as it had displeased some of them, they did want to take Geoff alive. See if they could not reason with the man. If not at the very least Geoff deserved to be give a fair trial for what he had done, instead of just being lynched by an angry mob. That wasn't the sort of kingdom Ryan wanted.

Geoff didn't question why they were leading him in the direction of the throne room, and in hindsight Ryan and Jack should have been more suspicious of that. But the room did have a large door that led to the outside, so they just thought that Geoff believed they thought it was the best way out. Ryan entered the room first, looking around to see if anyone else had reached it first. Noticing no one, he stepped inside and motioned for the others to follow. He was about halfway into the room when he heard the sound of a body hitting the floor. He spun around on his heels, heart racing, and saw Geoff standing over Jack's body, with Jack's sword in Geoff's hand and a trickle of blood oozing from Jack's head.

"Did you really think I didn't know what was going on in my own court?" Geoff asked, placing a foot on Jack's neck and stepping down. Ryan froze, staring at his king. "I've knew you were helping plan this little rebellion the whole time. Why do you think I made you kill that brewer?" Ryan felt sick, his stomach dropping at the realization that Jeremy died for nothing. His death hadn't protected anyone, it was just a cruel joke from Geoff. Geoff, who looked seconds away from breaking Jack's neck.

Without thinking Ryan rushed him, slamming his entire body weight into Geoff before attempting to dance out of reach of the other man's sword. He didn't quite make it, and the blade sliced through his leather armor and carved a shallow gash into his stomach. He winced, wiping the blood away before blocking Geoff's next attack.

"Tell me," he said, pushing back with all his weight to try and knock Ryan off balance. "Was it you or Jack? Which one of you came up with this little plan?" Ryan shoved back and stepped backwards, circling Geoff to get between him and Jack.

"We did it together," Ryan said, his chest aching. "We tried to talk to you Geoff, but you wouldn't listen. We didn't want it to get this far."

"Yet here you are, trying to kill a king," Geoff pointed out. "You really tried hard to avoid this, huh?"

"I'm not trying to kill you," Ryan said, faltering. He wasn't trying to kill Geoff, just keep Jack alive and Geoff distracted long enough for the others to get there. "I'm trying to keep you from killing all of us. This has to stop, Geoff, you can't just walk over everyone because you're king." Geoff laughed at that, a harsh, taunting laugh.

"Of course I can," he said. "That's what being the king is about. I'm in charge, and the rest of you need to do what I want." He charged Ryan, who stood firm, locking swords with Geoff once more. "You aren't going to win this, Ryan," Geoff said. "You're going to die, and Jack, and everyone else involved in this whole fucking plan. Maybe I'll keep you alive long enough to watch it happen. How does that sound?" Geoff pulled back suddenly and stabbed forward, cutting deep into Ryan's side. Ryan cried out in pain and staggered for a moment, long enough for Geoff smash him on the side of the head with the hilt of his blade. Ryan's vision went black for a moment, and he felt the bile rise up in his throat, but he forced himself to stay conscious. He had to, for Jack and for Jeremy. For everyone who was counting on him and this revolution, for everyone Geoff had killed.

"Look at you," Geoff continued. "You're pathetic. Always pretending to be a villain to entertain The Lads, but you're just as much a weakling as Jack is. At least he doesn't try and hide it." Geoff stabbed out and Ryan barely managed to deflect the blade. "I think I'll kill them first," he continued, and Ryan felt his blood turn to ice. "Starting with Gavin. Maybe I'll make him and Michael fight to the death. Give them both a stone sword and let them at it." Geoff grinned under his mustache, laughing to himself. "Or I'll kill Gav myself. Drive my sword in and twist it around until he finally shuts u-" Geoff coughed, blood coming from his mouth, as Ryan lunged forward suddenly, ignoring Geoff's own strike and driving his sword deep into the king's chest. He had missed his heart, to be honest Ryan hadn't really been aiming, but the sword had went clean through his lung. Geoff choked, drowning as his lungs filled with his own blood, and dropped his blade, reaching up to grasp Ryan's, cutting deep gashes into his palms on the forged metal.

"I won't let you touch them," Ryan growled, for the first time in his life feeling truly murderous. He twisted the sword, earning a pained whine from the dying king, and drew it back quickly. Geoff fell to the ground, bleeding out his life onto the stone floor the second he was free of the weapon's grasp. Ryan looked down at him, his sword dropping from his grasp as he stumbled backwards, horrified. "I'm sorry," he whispered, his hands shaking. "I didn't want to..." But Geoff was already dead, his blue eyes blank. Ryan swallowed, looking down at the blood on his hands. He had killed Geoff. He just killed one of his oldest friends.

A groan snapped him out of his thoughts, and he turned, rushing to Jack when he saw the man shift.

"Jack," he said, relief apparent in his voice. "Thank god you're alive." He helped Jack to his feet, placing the man's arm around his shoulders and supporting his weight. "I thought he may have killed you." Jack groaned, placing a hand to his head.

"I'm fine," he said. Just then, the doors to the throne room opened, and the rebels entered, expecting a fight. But they froze when they saw the body of their king on the floor, and Jack stiffened in Ryan's grasp.

"Ryan..." Jack started, stunned. "You..."

"He threatened the others," Ryan confessed, ashamed. "I wanted to take him alive, I really did." But he had reacted too quickly, when he should have held Geoff off for longer. The revolution could have reached them and they could have taken Geoff alive. Michael stepped forward, nudging Geoff's body with his foot before stepping back.

"The King is dead," he said, looking down at the corpse before turning to Ryan and kneeling. "Long live the King." The others followed Michael's lead, all kneeling down before Ryan. Jack was the only exception, who was still using Ryan as a support just to stand. Ryan swallowed, eyes scanning over the crowd before he bowed his head.

"You can stand up now," he said. "Just because you decided I would be the king doesn't mean I am yet. We still need to deal with anyone loyal to Geoff, and I need to be properly crowned. There needs to be a coronation and everything." He looked around and shrugged as dramatically as he could without disturbing Jack. "I mean, the crown isn't even in the room."

"If there's going to be a coronation does that mean free food?" Ray asked. "Sweet. Let's have that now." Ryan laughed, still uneasy about his recent act of regicide but calming down in the presence of his friends. Their revolution had worked. Geoff's tyranny had ended, and Ryan could lead them into a new age. A sudden lump formed in his stomach at the thought of his new duties, and he turned to Jack.

"If I am to rule," Ryan said, "I would want you by my side. Not as a guard, but as my Hand." Jack looked at his old friend and new king and nodded.

"Sure, Ryan," he said, and hearing his name from the other man's mouth instead of a title went a long way towards calming Ryan's nerves.

"We should rest," Ryan said, turning back to the crowd. "All of us. Go into the villages, spread the word, then sleep. I don't want to leave the kingdom without a king for too long. I want to be crowned tomorrow."

"Is that an order, Ryan?" Lindsay asked, her tone light and teasing. Ryan smiled, genuinely glad that nothing seemed to be changing. King or not, these were his friends, and he wanted them to continue to act like it.

"Yeah," he said. "It is. First Decree of King James Ryan Haywood the First. Everyone fucking sleep." A roar of laughter filled the room, a bit tenser than it could have been, and carrying an almost exhausted quality about it, but it was a welcome sound to the new king's ears. He hazarded a glance back to Geoff's body and suppressed a chill, instead forcing himself to focus on the positive. He was King, and the kingdom was his to heal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit intense, but at least Geoff is dead now, right?


	3. Coronation

Ryan sat heavily on the side of the bed in Geoff's room, though he supposed now it was his room. It was still an odd feeling, the thought that in such a short period of time he would officially be crowned king. That he would soon wear the crown and sit on the throne of his slain former friend. Despite his orders to everyone he himself hadn't slept the night before. He was too nervous, and too excited. A million thoughts had bounced around his head the entire night, and they had kept him up. A million ideas and a million worries. He wasn't even wearing the crown yet and it was already causing him to be restless.

With a grunt he pushed himself off the bed, wincing as the movement pulled at his stitches. Jon had insisted on tending to his wounds, saying it was the least he could do since he wouldn't be able to make Ryan a decent suit of ceremonial armor in the span of a night. Ryan had waved this concern off, assuring Jon he could manage. He still had various suits from his time as a guard, for when Geoff wanted him and Jack to be more flashy than usual. Ryan never liked the suits, they were too light and afforded too little protection, but for his coronation they would do.

Walking over to the suit Ryan lifted up the chest plate and slipped it on, wincing as he struggled with the straps. The armor still bore the pattern associated with Geoff, of a ram's skull covered in grape vines and barley, but it was the best one Ryan had, and he hoped that the markings wouldn't upset anyone. There was only so much that could be done in a day.

He moved onto his gloves next, then his greaves. As he bent down to place his boots on he thought he saw something, a person, out of the corner of his eyes. He was standing at once, sword drawn and instantly alert, but no one was there. He stared at the spot for a moment, confused, and was only startled from his thoughts by a knock on the door. He gave the spot one last glance before pushing it aside as nothing and sheathing his sword.

"Come in," he said, bending back down to finish with his boots. When he stood back up he saw Meg standing in the doorway and smiled. "Hey Meg," he said, walking over to her, holding his arms out. "What do you think? Do I look like a king?" She placed a hand to her chin, looking him over while humming thoughtfully.

"Well..." she started, walking around him. "You're almost there." She stepped away from him and opened Geoff's wardrobe, pulling out a large, ermine fringed robe. Ryan frowned at the sight of it and backed away from her, holding his hands up.

"That's Geoff's," he said, his unease slipping into his voice. "I don't want to be like Geoff. I don't want to remind the people of him."

"Oh hush," she said, slipping it around his shoulders and fastening it. "You won't. You'll remind them of a king." She reached up, her fingers straying close to his eyes and he leaned into it, trusting her completely. She wiped something from his face and smiled. "You had an eyelash and it was driving me crazy." He laughed, some of his nerves fading away. He stepped back and spread his arms wide again.

"How about now?" He asked. "Do I look like a king now?" She shook her head.

"You're missing one little thing," she said, walking over and bopping him on the head. "Your crown." He laughed and smiled down at her.

"I don't have a crown yet," he said. "That's why I'm all dressed up. I need to go get it."

"Well everyone's waiting for you, Your Majesty," she said, adding the title with a flourish and a curtsy. "Are you ready to see them?" Ryan glanced back at the spot where he thought he had seen a person, frowning.

"Give me a moment," he said. "I want to make sure everything is perfect first." Meg offered him another small curtsy and one of her little 'Heart You' signs before leaving the room, pulling the heavy oak door behind her with a thud. Once alone Ryan let out a sigh and walked over to the mirror, checking himself in it and straightening out this and that. He was oh so excited but just as anxious, and despite knowing that he would have Jack by his side, and that he was friends with many of the people he would be ruling, it did little to settle the racing of his heart. He closed his eyes and ran a hand through his hair, but when he opened them instead of seeing himself staring back at him he saw a faceless phantom, and a hand he had placed over his mouth in shock was the only thing that stopped his terrified cry. But just as soon as it had appeared it was gone, and Ryan was left staring into his own frightened eyes. Lowering his hand he swallowed his nerves, pushing the image from his head and equating it to anxiety and guilt. He had killed his friend just hours before, it was only natural that he would be feeling some level of unease. But the room suddenly felt colder, and he decided that he had checked himself over enough. There was work to do, and the longer he stayed in Geoff's, his, room the longer it would take for his reign to begin. And as much as he dreaded the responsibility he couldn't leave his kingdom without a ruler. Fixing his hair once more he turned and left his room, the door slamming with a heavy thud behind him.

\----------

He ran into Jack right inside the entrance to the castle, looking out at the gathered crowd. Ryan approached his friend and stood beside him, swallowing at the sight of so many of his people gathered. The action had not gone unnoticed by Jack, who just gave a small laugh and smiled.

"Nervous?" He asked.

"Terrified," Ryan confessed. "I never realized how many people needed me. It's...terrifying." He felt Jack's hand on his back and relaxed at the touch.

"You aren't alone in this," Jack said. "Remember that." Ryan nodded, standing up a bit taller as he walked out, with Jack following close behind.

The crowd cheered when they saw Ryan, just a few at first but soon it turned into a truly imposing mass of sound. Ryan smiled, scanning the crowd for any faces he recognized and not even feeling disappointed when he couldn't find any. They were here for him, they were cheering for him. He climbed up onto the stage to the sound of applause, the crowd only falling silence as he raised up a hand. They quieted down slowly, then eagerly await for their soon to be king to start speaking.

"Friends," he started, his voice carrying across the crowd. "Cuntyme...fuck." He turned bright red and looked away, not even caring as the crowd laughed at his expense. "I meant Countrymen let me start again." He sighed and began his speech anew, his face now roughly the same shade as a tomato. "Friends, Countrymen, these times have been rough on all of us. Geoff was...he was a close friend of mine, and I wish that I could have taken him alive. Could have reasoned with him. We've all lost people close to us," the crowd was dead silent now, a few people bowing their heads. "Friends, family, colleagues. But we must move on. Consequi is a great kingdom, it always has been. And I am honored that you have chosen me to be its new king. I swear I will do my best to serve you." Wetting his lips he stepped back and turned, getting on one knee in front of Gus and bowing his head. Gus stepped forward, the priest's robes dragging across the ground. Michael stepped forward, holding the pillow upon which sat the crown. Gus took the crown and held it over Ryan before speaking.

"Sir," Gus started, "is Your Majesty willing to take the Oath."

"I am willing," Ryan said, keeping his head bowed as he tried to remember the Oath.

"Will you solemnly promise and swear to govern the Peoples of Consequi according to their respective laws and customs?" Gus asked.

"I solemnly promise," Ryan said, happy that the king's portion of it all was simpler than Gus'.

"Will you to your power cause Law and Justice, in Mercy, to be executed in all your judgement?" Gus asked. Ryan felt a bit sick at those words, remembering what sort of king Geoff had become, and he made a promise to himself that he would not fall down that same path.

"I will," Ryan said, and he meant it with all his being.

"Do you swear to serve The Gods, all The Gods, with all your strength and will?"

"I swear," Ryan said.

"Then I crown you King James Ryan Haywood, first of his name," Gus said, lowering the crown and placing it upon Ryan's brow. Ryan stood up and turned to face the people, standing tall. "Long Live King Ryan."

"Long Live King Ryan!" One voice cried out from the square, and soon the entire crowd had picked up the chant. "Long Live King Ryan! Long Live King Ryan! Long Live King Ryan!" Ryan smiled, pride swelling in his chest as he listened to them cheer, listened to them cheer for _him_. He smiled, too distracted by his joy to notice a phantom standing in the crowd, his face featureless except for a mustache.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leave a comment if you like it. The real fun is going to start soon.


	4. Castle's Phantom

Ryan knew from the start that being king would be difficult, it was one of the reservations he had had about taking the job. But he had never realized how difficult it would be until he had been presented with his first criminal.

He knew what Geoff would have done. Sentenced the man to death and performed the execution himself. In accordance to the Old Laws, Geoff would have said, though the more Ryan thought about it the more he realized that Geoff must have just enjoyed it. Alternatively, if he couldn't be bothered to kill the man himself, he would have ordered one of the guards to do it, like with Jeremy. The memory still made Ryan feel ill, the memory of how his skull had split beneath Ryan's blade, and though weeks has passed the knowledge that Jeremy had died for nothing still stung. It kept him awake at nights. It, and the murder of Geoff, which Ryan still very much thought of as a murder despite its necessity. But he was king now, and he had more important things to focus his thoughts on than the past. Such as what he was going to do with the thief who some of his police had brought before him.

The man had been caught stealing a loaf of bread from the baker, and given his gaunt appearance Ryan could understand why. The man was clearly starving and punishing him simply for being hungry didn't sit right with Ryan at all. The kingdom was recovering from Geoff's rule, largely thanks to Jack's efforts, but the recovery was slow, and many were still starving. Punishing the man felt wrong, but at the same time what sort of king would Ryan be if he let crimes go unpunished. Surely he needed to do something?

"Kill him," a voice said quietly into Ryan's ear, causing the king to startle and practically jump out of his skin. His heart hammered in his chest as he looked around for the source, trying to ignore how eerily familiar the voice had sounded. It had sounded like Geoff. When he saw no one about, no one other than the police and the criminal, he settled back down in his throne and cleared his throat, attributing the voice to nerves, or maybe a phantom memory. The last time he had seen a criminal brought before the throne was Jeremy, and that event had shaken him so much surely it was now merely haunting his waking hours as well.

The way the criminal was looking at Ryan didn't help, for the man was staring up at the king as though he expected to be cut down at once. The crown upon Ryan's head felt suddenly heavy, and he wet his lips a few times before speaking.

"I can't have criminals in my kingdom," he said finally, the start of the sentence dying in his throat a few times before he could manage to say it. The man paled, and Ryan immediately regretted his choice of words. "However," he began, hoping to recover quickly. "I understand the needs of the hungry, and my Hand and I are working towards a solution. For your crimes you will spend the...week...in the dungeon. After that, I will hire you as a servant, until you can find better employment elsewhere. Or, you know you could stay a servant if you like that." He ended with an uneasy smile, something which didn't belong on the face of a tyrant at all and was incredibly disarming. The man blinked a few times, tears coming to his eyes, and knelt down low before Ryan.

"Thank you, My Lord," he said, definitely in tears now judging by the sound of him. Ryan waved the thanks off, shifting in his throne.

"It's nothing," he said, his mind lingering back to the voice he heard. He turned towards the police and nodded for them to grab the thief, gently and bring him down to the cell. Once they were out of sight he all but collapsed in his throne, his heart racing in his chest as he tried to think about anything other than what had just taken place.

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It only got worse for Ryan from there. The voice he had heard, the voice that sounded so much like an echo of Geoff, persisted, though he tried to attribute it to nerves and guilt. It never had anything pleasant to say, was always a horrible little voice in the back of his mind telling him to do something horrible, to kill, maim, or torture. Every time he heard it he would jump, and it would take an hour at least to calm down.

And he desperately wished it had stayed at the voice. But just as he had on the day of his coronation, at times he would see a phantom instead of his reflection in the mirror. A human figure without a face or even truly a form. Almost like a shadow, only much more frightening. And it wouldn't just appear in his mirrors. Every few days it seemed that he would see someone out of the corner of his eye, but when he would turn to look they would be gone. The temperature in the castle began to drop, to Ryan at least, and though it unnerved him and left his stomach to tie itself in knots he began to wear Geoff's cloak more and more, in an attempt to keep some of his warmth from escaping to the sudden chill.

The jokes about him being a sick bastard and a crazy motherfucker started to reemerge in his mind, this time dragging with them the sinking feeling that he had finally lost his mind. That the guilt of killing two of his friends and the pressures of having to rule had caused him to snap and he just hadn't noticed yet, and that he wouldn't notice for some time. Possibly until it was too late.

His odd behavior had not gone unnoticed by those around him. Michael and Ray tried to drag their new king into training exercises, in an attempt to help him relax, and Gavin switched rapidly between a bumbling fool and a would-be scientist, trying to keep Ryan's mind focused on either amusement or annoyance. And by and large their plans were working. Most of the time Ryan spent around his friends, training with Michael and Ray, arguing with Gavin, relaxing with Meg and Ashley, were peaceful, and took his mind off of the voice he would hear when he was alone. But inevitable he would be alone again, and the dread would begin anew. He'd shiver from a cold that wasn't there and jump at every shadow in the room. Swear to every last god in Heaven and Hell that something was watching him, even when he was the only soul in the room. It was terrifying and he wanted to reach out to someone so badly. But his dread and the fear for his own sanity kept him from going to anyone, because they had just disposed one insane king, they didn't need to worry about Ryan becoming one as well.

Luckily for Ryan, Jack was observant enough to realize that Ryan didn't need a distraction from the stress of his job. He needed someone to talk to. Late one night, while the castle was readying itself for sleep, Jack sought Ryan out and placed a comforting and grounding hand on his shoulder.

"You alright?" He asked, his hazel eyes warm and gently. "You've seemed stressed lately. More-so than I would have expected." Ryan's shoulders sagged as though they were literally supporting the weight of the kingdom and he opened his mouth to answer Jack, to tell him how he thinks the stress is getting close to breaking him. Maybe Jack would know some way to cure Ryan of his phantoms, of some way to clean the new king's mind. But before any words could leave his mouth he heard the voice once more, far clearer than it had ever been before.

"If you say a single word, I will kill him," the voice said, and Ryan's body went suddenly cold, as though it had been tossed into a frozen lake. He couldn't move, for a moment it felt as though he couldn't even breathe, and then, to his horror, his hand started to move towards his sword on its own accord, and no matter how much he tried to fight it his body refused to obey his orders. Jack hadn't seemed to notice Ryan's hand yet, for it was moving very slowly, but he did notice the sudden terror in his friend's eyes.

"Ryan?" He asked. "What's wrong?" Suddenly Ryan could feel his body returning to him, and he wet his lips before shaking his head.

"Nothing," he said, far too quickly to be believed. "I'm just...tired. I should go to bed." He turned on his heels and ran down the hall as fast as he could, fleeing from Jack as though he was the source of his terror.

He only stopped once he reached his room, slamming the door shut and locking it behind him before pressing his back against it as he panted and finally sliding down to the floor, shaking. There was no denying it this time, it had been Geoff's voice he had heard. He shut his eyes and whined, giving himself up to insanity for a brief moment before his mind rather suddenly focused on something else. His hand had moved. On its own accord, his hand had moved towards his sword. Something had moved his hand, probably the same something Ryan had been hearing and seeing for weeks now. Deciding to take a risk Ryan swallowed, forcing himself to get a hold of his nerves and spoke.

"Show yourself," he said, with as much force as he could muster, and he was proud to say his voice only shook a little. Nowhere near as much as his body was shaking. The room was still for a moment, quiet except for Ryan's rapid breathing, and there was a split second when Ryan was once again convinced he had gone mad. He was about to stand up when before him appeared a phantom, with soon took on an incredibly familiar form. It _was_ Geoff.

Ryan tried to cry out but the ghost vanished and the words died in his throat as his body was once again taken over. It seemed the ghost left him just enough control to tremble, because he shook pitifully, sure that Geoff had come back from the grave to seek revenge. To punish Ryan for killing him.

"I admit," Ryan heard the ghost say from within his own head, the voice holding too much amusement for what was going on, "that idea _is_ tempting." Slowly Ryan's left hand moved towards the dagger at his hip and drew it free, before pressing the tip directly over his heart. "And it would be so easy too."

Ryan whined, his chest heaving and his heart racing in his chest, almost as though it was trying to get as many beats in as it could before he was killed. Ryan stared wide eyed at the blade, waiting for Geoff to put an end to him and wondering if death would hurt as much as he expected, or if he'd at least be shown the mercy of a quick kill. Geoff's voice laughed in his head and control returned to him as the ghost reappeared. The second he had control back Ryan threw the blade across the room and drew his knees up to his chest, curling into a tight ball and staring at the ghost.

"Dying hurts like dicks, dude," Geoff said, smiling at Ryan as though he hadn't just made the new king hold himself at blade point. He looked Ryan over and his expression turned into a scowl. "Well doesn't that figure," Geoff said. "First you kill me then you steal my crown. Typical." Ryan shook his head, though part of him was afraid to argue with the ghost.

"It wasn't my decision," Ryan said, curling up tighter. "Everyone else wanted me to be king." He swallowed, looking over Geoff. The man looked the same as when Ryan had last seen him, complete with the wound that had killed him. It was a chilling sight and Ryan shivered, partially because of fear and partially because it felt as though Geoff was draining ever last bit of warmth from the room. "Why are you here?" Geoff paced in front of Ryan, his footfalls not even making a sound.

"I'm not going to kill you," he assured Ryan. "I'm here to help the new king out." He leaned down and smiled at Ryan from beneath his mustache. "But I think you should keep me a secret, alright Buddy?" His expression and tone darkened instantly. "I mean, you did murder me. I think you owe it to me to keep this a secret. And if you don't...well a lot of accidents can happen in a castle." Ryan swallowed, knowing a threat when he heard one. He nodded rapidly, not wanting to risk angering Geoff. The former king grinned. "Great! We'll start tomorrow!" He vanished after that, extinguishing the torches as he did so and leaving only a sliver of moonlight left to light the room.

Ryan dragged himself to his feet and changed into his bedclothes with shaking hands, his mind racing. Every so often he would catch a glimpse of himself in the mirror, wide eyed and pale from terror, and he shook his head to try and calm down. He would sleep this off and tomorrow he would find a way to deal with the ghost. Once he had finished changing he curled up beneath his blankets, shivering in the still present cold, and laboriously fell asleep.

**Author's Note:**

> An idea I had based around what if Geoff was an evil King and Ryan was a good one. Hope you like it.


End file.
